Release Detail

June 18, 1998 - Schumer's Liberal Line Ties Up The D'Amato-Ferraro Race
Quinnipiac College Poll Finds;
Parents, Not TV, Seen As Cause Of School Violence

With U.S. Rep. Charles Schumer running on the Liberal Party line, a U.S. Senate
matchup between Republican incumbent Sen. Alfonse D'Amato and Democrat Geraldine
Ferraro would be a virtual tie, with D'Amato ahead 41 - 38 percent, according to a Quinnipiac
College poll released today. Schumer gets 12 percent.

In a three-way matchup where New York City Public Advocate Mark Green wins the
Democratic nomination and Schumer stays on the Liberal line, D'Amato gets 44 percent, to 28
percent for Green and 14 percent for Schumer.

If Schumer wins the Democratic Primary and goes head to head with the incumbent,
D'Amato wins 49 - 37 percent.

Ferraro wins a Democratic Primary with 46 percent, followed by Green with 23 percent
and Schumer with 19 percent.

"The Liberal Party is just what the doctor ordered for D'Amato. In previous Quinnipiac
College polls, D'Amato trailed Ferraro, the Democrat we measure as the most formidable, by
12 - 16 points," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac College Polling Institute.

"But Schumer siphons off enough votes on the Liberal line in a three-way race to make
to make it a stand-off between Ferraro and D'Amato. In any other matchup, D'Amato is the
clear winner. On top of that, D'Amato's approval rating is going up as the election nears."

D'Amato's approval is 51 - 39 percent, the first time he has topped 50 percent since
Quinnipiac College Poll began measuring the Senator's approval in 1994.

D'Amato's favorability is 37 - 32 percent, with 25 percent mixed and 6 percent who say
they haven't heard enough to form an opinion. Among possible Democratic challengers and
other statewide leaders, favorability ratings are:

In an open-ended question, where respondents can give any answer, 44 percent point to
parents or the lack of parental discipline as the chief cause of school violence, with only 7
percent listing TV, movies, music or entertainment.

"Who do we blame for school violence? New Yorkers did not point the finger at the
usual scapegoats in Hollywood. They blamed parents," Carroll said.

In another open-ended question 29 percent say the most important problem facing New
York's public schools today is inadequate funds or resources or overcrowding, followed by 17
percent who list violence/crime/gangs/drugs.

When offered a list of proposals to improve public schools, the top responses are 42
percent in support of making it easier to fire incompetent teachers; 39 percent for standardized
tests to determine promotion to the next grade and 38 percent for reduced class size.

Looking at public schools statewide, 62 percent say they are very good or fairly good,
while 32 percent say they are fairly bad or very bad. In their own community, 76 percent say
schools are very good or fairly good, while 18 percent say they are fairly bad or very bad.

From June 9 - 15, Quinnipiac College surveyed 811 New Yorkers who say they are
registered voters. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.4 percent. The Quinnipiac College
Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey
and Connecticut as a public service and for research.
For additional data -- www.quinnipiac.edu

2. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Daniel Patrick Moynihan is handling
his job as United States Senator?

Mar 26
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1998

Approve 62% 59% 60% 70% 60% 67% 63% 64%

Disapprove 18 20 16 16 22 13 18 17

DK/NA 20 21 24 15 17 21 19 19

2a. Do you approve/disapprove strongly or somewhat?

Mar 26
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1998

Approve strongly 26% 26% 24% 28% 21% 32% 28% 24%

Approve smwht 36 34 36 41 39 34 35 40

Disapprove smwht 10 11 8 10 11 7 12 9

Disapprove strongly 7 8 8 5 11 6 6 8

DK/NA 20 21 24 15 17 21 19 19

3. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Alfonse D'Amato is handling his job
as United States Senator?

Mar 26
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1998

Approve 51% 50% 46% 59% 75% 36% 47% 47%

Disapprove 39 37 42 37 18 54 41 43

DK/NA 10 13 12 5 7 10 12 10

3A. Do you approve/disapprove strongly or somewhat?

Mar 26
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1998

Approve strongly 22% 16% 24% 28% 39% 14% 17% 16%

Approve smwht 29 33 22 30 36 22 30 31

Disapprove smwht 14 16 13 11 9 17 15 13

Disapprove strongly 25 21 29 26 9 38 26 30

DK/NA 10 13 12 5 7 10 12 10

14. Is your opinion of State Controller H. Carl McCall favorable, unfavorable,
mixed, or haven't you heard enough about him?

Mar 26
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1998

Favorable 27% 26% 29% 26% 22% 31% 27% 25%

Unfavorable 3 3 3 1 5 1 2 3

Mixed 12 12 10 15 15 10 12 10

Hvn't hrd enough 58 59 58 57 58 58 58 61

Refused - 1 - - - - 1 -

15. Is your opinion of State Attorney General Dennis Vacco favorable,
unfavorable, mixed, or haven't you heard enough about him?

Mar 26
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1998

Favorable 31% 42% 20% 27% 42% 22% 29% 25%

Unfavorable 6 4 10 4 1 9 5 7

Mixed 16 14 18 16 15 15 19 15

Hvn't hrd enough 47 39 52 52 42 53 46 53

Refused - 1 - - - - - -

16. Is your opinion of United States Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan favorable,
unfavorable, mixed, or haven't you heard enough about him?

Mar 26
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1998

Favorable 49% 48% 49% 51% 41% 57% 52% 51%

Unfavorable 11 13 9 9 14 7 9 11

Mixed 25 25 21 30 33 20 25 21

Hvn't hrd enough 15 14 20 10 12 16 14 17

Refused - - - - - - - 1

17. Is your opinion of United States Senator Alfonse D'Amato favorable,
unfavorable, mixed, or haven't you heard enough about him?

Mar 26
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1998

Favorable 37% 38% 34% 41% 58% 31% 30% 36%

Unfavorable 32 28 36 33 14 44 35 35

Mixed 25 26 25 24 23 19 30 20

Hvn't hrd enough 6 8 5 2 5 7 5 8

Refused - 1 - - - - 1 1

18. Is your opinion of former United States Representative Geraldine Ferraro
favorable, unfavorable, mixed, or haven't you heard enough about her?

Mar 26
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1998

Favorable 38% 35% 42% 38% 20% 57% 35% 37%

Unfavorable 22 21 20 26 42 9 20 20

Mixed 28 29 28 28 27 25 32 23

Hvn't hrd enough 11 13 11 7 10 8 13 19

Refused 1 1 - 1 1 - - 1

19. Is your opinion of New York City Public Advocate Mark Green favorable,
unfavorable, mixed, or haven't you heard enough about him?

Mar 26
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1998

Favorable 28% 7% 51% 35% 19% 44% 23% 29%

Unfavorable 6 4 7 10 13 1 5 7

Mixed 14 8 17 18 15 12 16 9

Hvn't hrd enough 51 80 25 37 53 43 56 54

Refused - 1 - - - - 1 1

20. Is your opinion of United States Representative Charles Schumer favorable,
unfavorable, mixed, or haven't you heard enough about him?

Mar 26
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1998

Favorable 20% 8% 35% 21% 12% 30% 19% 21%

Unfavorable 7 7 4 10 13 1 7 7

Mixed 14 7 18 18 12 12 16 11

Hvn't hrd enough 59 78 42 50 63 56 57 61

Refused 1 - 1 1 1 - 1 -

21. If the 1998 election for United States Senator were being held today and
the candidates were Alfonse D'Amato the Republican and Conservative party
candidate, Geraldine Ferraro the Democratic party candidate, and Charles Schumer
the Liberal Party candidate, for whom would you vote?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

D'Amato 41% 45% 29% 49% 73% 19% 35%

Ferraro 38 37 40 35 17 55 39

Schumer 12 7 22 8 4 18 14

SOMEONE ELSE(VOL) 1 1 - 1 1 1 1

WOULDN'T VOTE(VOL) 3 3 3 2 2 2 5

DK/NA 6 7 5 5 3 5 8

22. If the 1998 election for United States Senator were being held today and
the candidates were Alfonse D'Amato the Republican and Conservative party
candidate, Mark Green the Democratic party candidate, and Charles Schumer the
Liberal Party candidate, for whom would you vote?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

D'Amato 44% 50% 30% 51% 74% 19% 43%

Green 28 17 41 28 11 48 22

Schumer 14 11 21 11 4 21 16

SOMEONE ELSE(VOL) 1 2 - 1 - 1 2

WOULDN'T VOTE(VOL) 5 8 3 3 5 3 6

DK/NA 9 12 6 7 5 9 10

23. If the 1998 election for United States Senator were being held today and
the candidates were Alfonse D'Amato the Republican and Conservative Party
candidate and Charles Schumer the Democratic and Liberal party candidate, for
whom would you vote? (* Question read "If the 1998 election for United States
Senator were being held today and the candidates were Alfonse D'Amato the
Republican and Charles Schumer the Democrat, for whom would you vote?")

Mar 26
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1998*

D'Amato 49% 53% 36% 57% 78% 23% 48% 45%

Schumer 37 29 51 33 12 63 34 41

SOMEONE ELSE(VOL) 1 2 - 1 1 - 3 2

WOULDN'T VOTE(VOL) 6 8 6 2 5 5 8 2

DK/NA 8 8 7 7 5 9 7 10

25. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bill Clinton is handling his job
as President?

Mar 25
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1998

Approve 66% 62% 72% 66% 42% 87% 68% 73%

Disapprove 29 34 24 29 53 11 27 25

DK/NA 4 4 4 5 5 2 5 2

28. If the 1998 Democratic primary for United States Senator were being held
today and the candidates were Mark Green, Geraldine Ferraro and Charles Schumer
for whom would you vote?

Registered Mar 26
Democrats 1998

Green 23% 20%

Ferraro 46 50

Schumer 19 15

SOMEONE ELSE(VOL) 1 1

WOULDN'T VOTE(VOL) 1 2

DK/NA 10 11

38. How would you rate the quality of New York State's public schools?
Very good, fairly good, fairly bad, or very bad?

Dec 11
Tot Ups NYC Sub Men Wom 1997

Very good 10% 13% 4% 13% 10% 10% 8%

Fairly good 52 60 36 57 52 52 47

Fairly bad 22 15 34 18 23 21 23

Very bad 10 8 18 4 9 11 15

DK/NA 6 4 8 9 6 7 7

39. How would you rate the quality of the public schools in your community?
Very good, fairly good, fairly bad, or very bad?

Dec 11
Tot Ups NYC Sub Men Wom 1997

Very good 33% 39% 13% 50% 32% 34% 29%

Fairly good 43 42 48 38 43 43 45

Fairly bad 12 10 20 7 14 11 16

Very bad 6 6 9 2 6 6 6

DK/NA 5 3 10 2 5 5 4

40. What do you think is the most important problem facing New York State's
public schools today?

41. I'm going to read you a list of proposals to improve the public schools in
New York State. For each one I read, please tell me if you think it should be
a top priority, a high priority, a low priority, or not a priority at all?
(Each proposal asked of half the sample)

A top A high A low Not a
priority priority priority priority DK/NA

Make it easier to fire teachers 42% 42% 13% 3% 1%
who are not doing a good job

Require students to pass a 39 44 13 2 1
standardized test in order to
move on to the next grade

Reduce class size 38 40 13 6 2

Improve computer equipment and 35 49 14 3 -
training

Make students take more 34 44 16 4 2
academically challenging courses
and fewer elected courses